Welcome Back Leslie
by RikiDante
Summary: This Story is about how Leslie is Back. How? She didn't drown in the river, she went un conscious, but never drowned she actually survived and Jess found her, in the Bridge to Terabithia. He is just as shocked as everyone else.
1. Chapter 1

My name is Jess Aarons, its been 6 years since my best friend Leslie Burke died. Every day I miss her even more, she was someone who understood me. Though now she is in a better place and even though I miss her terribly she is in a better place.

So I'm 16 now and I'm in High School, life is no better for me, I still live in the same place with my family me and May Belle still go to our so called "Terabithia" just to remember Leslie. Me and Janice actually became really good friends, she isn't my BEST friend, just a really good friend.

It was after school I was helping out Ms. Edmunds who had now turned into Mrs. Lawrance she had married a musician who has his own karaoke place and what not, I took her boxes to her car then went my way to my house I jogged to my house it was good exercise and good training since now I was on a team I have won 4 bronze, two silvers, next week I'm going for the gold.

So I'm walking in to my house I say hi to my family then go to my room I start sketching and I'm starting a bucket list, the first one one there I want to go scuba diving like Leslie wrote on her essay just to see if anything that she wrote was true. I then stood up changed my clothe and went for another job May Belle came with me so I had to slow down and keep up at her speed.

We went to down town to where Janice worked we walked in and she smiled when she saw us. "Oh hey guys whats up?" we walked in I hadn't broken a sweat and May Belle she was panting like a mother. "Oh we were just out for a jog, can you give May Belle some water?" I chuckled and she nodded getting a bottle of water and handed it to May Belle.

"So what are you planing to do today?" Janice said while taking a sip of a soda she brought for her self. "We should go to Terabithia Jess!" I looked at my sister and raised my eyebrow, Janice looked extremely confused. "Terabithia?"

"Its where Leslie died…" Janice looked at me still with that confused look on her face. "Why would you go there? Why is it called Terabithia?" May Belle sighed slightly and spoke. "Its a place Jess and Leslie made up before she died, They were the King and The queen, and I'm the princess… Jess made a bridge so we could cross over to Terabithia."

Janice looked confused still then looked back at me. "Why will you go there?" I sat down and looked at her. "Every time a year passes after Leslie's death I go there with a drawing of her, maybe of how would she look, by now and put it on a small raft and send it down the river." Janice's look of confusing was finally whipped off her face and nodded. "Can I go?"

May Belled glared slightly. "Terabithia is made only for me, Jess and Leslie." I looked at May Belle and smacked her slightly and softly on the shoulder. "Terabithia isn't real!" I looked back at Janice and smiled. "Sure you can go Janice."

She smiled stood up we waited till the end of her shift then we left walking back to my house we went inside I grabbed the drawing I made of Leslie, I just shifted her looks into a more woman like she looked beautiful as always I smiled. Then went out side where Janice and May Belle waited for me, May Belle was holding the raft we made, we then tied the drawing to the raft and we began walking over to Terabithia. We were walking and talking about Leslie and how she could light up a room with her smile.

"I don't know how she could be so nice to people. Like me, I was always such a jerk to her and she still talked to me as if I did nothing to her." I smiled slightly recalling the moment I told Leslie to talk to Janice the girls bathroom. "She always kept her mid WIDE open she saw people with kind eyes no matter who they were." We finally got to the bridge that I built after Leslie died, Janice looked baffled. "YOU made this Jess… When you were 10?!" I chuckled slightly and scratched the back of my head and nodded. "Yeah I did…" We walked over to the river and placed the raft in the current and watched it float away. It hurt me every time to watch a drawing of her I never got to see the woman she became, SHE didn't get to see the woman she became."

We stood up and we left to my house we walked Janice to the road and she waved good bye and so did we. Me and May Belle went back inside then we went to our room and just didn't talk for the rest of the day it was usually like this for us on the day of Leslie's death we stop talking to each other. I grabbed my sketch pad and started working on the drawing for next year it became night. I looked out to the stars and stood up got dressed and climbed out of my window I always did this on this day I needed my private closure every year, though I never really do Leslie will always be a wild though dancing though my memories.

I ran to our wonderful "Terabithia" I went there and knelt down near the river stared at it and tears rushed down my face I took a deep breath and heard steps coming from the bridge and then a female voice. "Are you okay?" I shot up to my feet and saw HER Leslie her face glistering in the moon light that sunk in through the trees, I was perplexed by this, words didn't escape my mouth, it just hung open. Her hair reached the lower half of her back I couldn't believe it.

It all made sense they only found her blood but never her body, It COULD be her. The only thing I could manage to choke out was "Leslie…."


	2. Chapter 2

My jaw had dropped open her beauty just as I had pictured it, she stood in front of me her beautiful blue eyes staring back of me they were filled with worry for me, but her eyes also said something more than that, it was like she didn't know who I was. I took a step closer to her and she in her self defense, took a step back I tilted my head. "Leslie its me Jess…" Her eyes glistened with hope. "Wait you recognize me?!" I was a tad confused by what she had asked me. Of course I knew her, the girl I've cried for almost every day. "Yes…. I-i do…."

She sprinted towards me. "Oh that is so cool! Tell me about me! Who was I?! How was I?! Were we friends?!" She sounded so excited as she did that adorable thing she always did, she bit her bottom lip awaiting my response and she held my shoulders and she couldn't hold still.

"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! Wait what do you mean, how can I tell you, about YOU." She sighed slightly releasing her bottom lip from the grip of her top teeth. "Well, you see today is my birthday… Well thats what my parents tell me…" She looked at the river as it rushed down. "They found me in this river un conscious, They don't know who I was, they call it my birthday because they found me on this day and they adopted me, they took me to a doctor. They never really bothered in looking for who my actual parents were, sooo I just went with it. They never really let me follow the river and tonight I decided to find out where it led to, and I found this bridge, and you. Oh I'm Annabelle by the way."

I was just taking this in, I couldn't believe Leslie was alive, the girl I cried for these las 6 years was standing in front of me wondering who she was and just as excited as she would be as if she'd met a new person, it felt like she was asking about someone who wasn't her, she stared at me it felt like she could read my thoughts. To her I was always an open book, she always knew what to say when ever I was sad even when I was mean to her she always knew what to say to get me out of that cloud I got my self into and she dragged me back to earth with her.

"I was someone important to you?" I then snapped out of my train of thought when I heard her voice echo in my ear. "Uh… Yeah, You were my best friend… Your name was Leslie Burke and you had a loving family." She was so excited at hearing me talk to her and she hugged me, my face flushed red and hugged her back I have been yearning for this for 6 years, to hold her once more, to see her, to be able to speak to her." She let go of me, I wasn't really ready to let her go just yet but I wasn't going to force her to continue hugging a person she considers a stranger. "So you hug stranger on a daily basis?" She looked at me and smiled. "You say your my best friend, I have no reason to distrust you." I raised an eye brow at her. "What if I wanted to hurt you?"

"If you wanted to hurt me, you would have done it by now, right?" I shrugged slightly thinking she may be right. "Okay, so, how long did we know each other for?"

"We didn't really know each other for very long just most of our 5th grade year, you were my first and only friend during that entire year, then they made us think during this entire 6 years… That you were dead." Leslie's eyes expressed shock as her mouth fell open and she covered it with her hand she looked sad. "I am so sorry…. I don't know what to say I feel like your talking about some one who isn't me…" I looked at her and smiled half heartedly she was right I felt the same way It was so un real that she was here. "Every year on the day and place of your death, as in today and here, I come set sail to a drawing I make of you yearly of how you MAY look today." She looked down at the river to see if she saw a raft with a picture of her, I guessed. "I set sail to it this afternoon, I come over at night to try and get closure so I can stay strong for the rest of the year, until next time."

She looked at me a pained look in her eyes she hugged me again she felt pitty for me I didn't want that so I pulled away and looked down at her. "But now, I know your alive, I can live the rest of my life knowing that my best friend didn't die in the river that we used to play on."

She looked up at me tilting her head slightly to the right. "Play on? What do you mean?"

I took a deep breath I had to re live everything for her she couldn't remember anything from that day, or any of her 10 years of life before that faithful day. "On this river there used to be a rope that hung on one of the branches, we used that to get to the other side of the river." She looked back at the tree that I had pointed at, then looked at the bridge. "Why didn't we just used the bridge?" I walked over to the bridge and slid my hand on it. "This bridge wasn't here, I made it after I lost you, A tree had fallen making it the only thing i could use to get over there, then I decided to build around it making a Bridge… A bridge to Terabithia…"

She went over to me and held my hand, the one i placed on the bridge. "Don't stop please keep telling me, about us." I looked at her and my face flushed slightly when I saw her deep blue eyes shine with the moons light that danced upon her beautiful face. "The branch broke when you swung on it, and after that I blamed my self because I left and didn't invite you to where I was going… Then my dad told me that I shouldn't blame my self, but something deep inside my heart always tortured me and nagged me that It was my fault." I felt her arms wrap around me from behind and her chest and head pressed against my back and she sighed slightly. "All these years you kept mourning for me…"

I turned around to look at her and smiled. "Now I know your alive, and I can't be the only one to know, your parents they-" she cut me off mid sentence. "No, not yet. My parents, the ones that adopted me, they can't know about anything just yet. Neither can the ones that are my biological parents, alright?" I was confused on why she didn't want anyone to know just yet, she hugged me again and then I felt something vibrate and she reached into her pocket and looked at her cell phone and she made a face. "Oh shoot! Those are my parents calling they must have noticed I'm gone. I have to go!" She began jogging down the bridge.

Then I turned to her. "Leslie…" She didn't turn and i sighed. "Annabelle!" She stopped and looked back at me. "Meet me here again tomorrow night? I have to show you something, I have to show you what I meant by Terabithia." She smiled brightly and nodded at me then she began running down the other side of the river towards where she lived, only she knew where that was of course. I smiled brightly she was back and I ran back home I was so happy I climbed in through my window and jumped into bed taking off all of my dirty clothe off and getting dressed in some long pants for sleep and stayed shirtless and layer down smiling I couldn't help it SHE WAS BACK!


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up the next day all mopey. Hoping deeply that what had happened the day before wasn't a dream. I rubbed my eyes slightly and stood up I was so confused with what had happened yesterday I'm not sure if that was real, or if I had finally lost my mind. I got ready to go for my usual jog before school I went out jogged out for a while the only thing clouding my thoughts was her face, her touch, her smell, just everything about her, hearing her voice once more. I don't know what I'd do if it was just my head playing an illusion.

After a couple of minutes of running rain started pouring down on me I sighed slightly and I began to pick up my speed I was really fast and I was really hoping that today I would get that gold medal I ran over back home took a quick shower and got dressed in simple ripped blue jeans, a white shirt, and some super worn out sneakers. I grabbed my back pack when I heard the buses horn and I ran out through the rain and got into the bus and shook my hair to get it dry I saw Janice and I sat down next to her and I smiled. "So how was the rest of your day, yesterday?" I looked at her I wanted to tell her SO badly that I saw Leslie, but to her I was going to sound crazy and I sighed, and decided to, hide the truth from her. "Just the same old same old, after everyone was asleep at my house I went to Terabithia and just stayed there for a while…" She looked at me and pated my shoulder.

"You know if she were still alive she would probably be so proud of you." I looked at her and raised my eyebrow. "Proud of what?" Janice giggled slightly looking at me. "You got great at drawing, and you've won medals for running." I smiled slightly and looked at Janice. "She would have probably kicked my butt at running and she would take everyone of the golden medals. I wouldn't mind though, I would love to have had her here." I smiled just crossing my fingers on that Leslie was REALLY alive and that last night it was really her. We went to school and the day went by regularly me an Janice had lunch together and not a surprise when Scott Hoager and Gary Fulcher, yup the same bullies from 6 years ago are still the same ones, came up to me Hoager doing that annoying beeping sound and sat down I looked at them with my un interested eyes. "So, you going to come in second to us again today?" I didn't look at them nor did I speak, Janice glared at them. "Oh what cat got your tongue farm boy?!" He looked down at me just because I was poor, I continued eating my lunch and didn't really look at them. "You know when I speak I want you to look at me!" He pushed my lunch off of the table and on to the floor and I stood up to look at them. "Oh what the farm boy got mad?" I clenched my jaw and my fist, then I heard Janice's voice. "Jess its not worth it…" I took a deep breath and just walked out and I could hear them laughing.

I was so angry I wanted to punch their faces and just break them in half I took a deep breath and Janice came up behind me in the hallway and she handed me an apple and I chuckled grabbing it and I took a bite out of it. "You don't know how badly I wanted to hit them both…" Janice shrugged slightly. "If you did that would make you one of them… And your better than that Jess, way better, you have to be the bigger person."

"What If I'm tired of being the bigger person?! What if my patience limit has been reached?!" Janice frowned on me. "Jess, you are better than that, you don't fight fire with fire, you'll just get burned… You know how you can actually shatter their ego?" I looked at her and waited for some silly plan she might come up with, I looked at her with a face that said 'Go ahead'. "By kicking their butts today out on that running track!" She actually pulled a smile out on me and I hugged her and kissed the top of her head, I had actually gotten way taller than her. "Thanks Janice!" I looked down at her and her face was red, I remembered I've never hugged Janice, and I chuckled and patted her head and walked off to class munching on the apple. I went to class and it went by smoothly after school I was in the locker room in my running shorts, shoes, and shirt, none of these where given to me by my family Ms. Edmund gave them to me, well, Mrs. Lawrence now. They were a birthday gift when my family had forgotten again. I'm so used to that.

Hoager was coming behind me I knew because of that STUPID beeping sound, he then pushed me slightly when I was closing my locker and I took a deep breath looking at him. "Nerd Alert, Nerd Alert!" I looked at him with an expression that simply expressed 'This is getting old.' "So farm boy think you can beat me?" I clenched my jaw and began to walk out of the locker room and out to the field. "I don't think I can win…" Hoager laughed "So you are finally notecing that I'm way better…" I turned around and looked at him. "The thing is I don't think I'm going to win… Because I KNOW I'm going to win." I turned around and began walking out to the field and took my place I saw the benches filled with my opponents family, people coming from other Towns and I looked around to see if I saw my family, and oh look they aren't here, even if I mentioned it to dad. I looked at the crowd and then I spotted HER Leslie, proof I wasn't crazy she stood there in the benches wearing shades. I smiled brightly I wondered what she was doing here. I noticed she talk to these adults and there was two little boys next to her, Maybe she was here to see someone and that was her family.

I stretched slightly and looked at her again, just to make sure she was actually standing there. I heard the coach yell to take our places so we all did, we heard the 'On your marks, get set...' then I heard the gun shot that indicated that we began the race so we all started running I kept my speed down during the beginning of the race I smiled slightly then nearing the half of the race I began to pick up my speed, going by all the guys that had begun to get tired, then I went by Fulcher and then Hoager and then there was this guy from out of town who was actually in first place I then took a deep breath and then began to pick up speed and at the last minute i passed him and crossed the finish line, i stopped a couple of feet ahead of the finish line and I took a deep breaths and some sweat had built up on my for head and I stretched and smiled. "Yes!" I saw the people get off the benches to se there children, friends, brothers, or even their boyfriend. I frowned slightly as they all congratulated the runners. I sighed then I saw Leslie she was walking towards me, I smiled brightly, then I rapidly whipped the smile off my face when I noticed her smile and her eyes weren't directed to me, when I turned to look at who it was for, she looked at the guy behind me, the guy who had ALMOST beat that gold medal out of my grasp. She walked right by me as if I wasn't there and hugged him. Everything happened in slow motion in my head, it was actually kind of funny.

I thought well thats her adoptive bro- My train of thought was literally cut off when I saw them kiss and my jaw clenched a the coach came over to me. "Jess Aarons! Look at how far you've made it! Now get over there and get on that 1st place step!" I was upset but I smiled at him and made my way to the steps and got on the first place step it felt great to see Hoager on that 3rd place step and I looked besides me at the 2nd place step and I saw the guy that Leslie kissed and I looked away when they called me and put my medal on me and I smiled I've been waiting for this for so long. We waited for their family members to take pictures then we got down I grabbed their hands and raised them up high and smiled brightly, it was a fake smile but I did it for show. Then I saw everyone go their way so I was starting to head out my way. Then I felt some one grab my shoulder when I turned around I saw it was Leslie and I smiled. "Hey!" she smiled up at me "Congratulations, I didn't know you ran." I shrugged. "A little bit."

"A little bit?! You just won that golden medal!" I chuckled slightly. "Its the first one I've won…" I turned around and began walking over to the locker rooms. "You beat my boyfriend…" I stopped slightly and then continued walking I looked back and smiled, once more a fake smile. "Yeah, I noticed he was your boyfriend." She frowned slightly. "I know your fake smiling. How? I don't know… I just do." I turned to look at her. "Because you were my best friend."

"Don't say were… Because we are going to be best friends again." I smiled slightly and went into the locker rooms. I took off my shirt the went for my pants until I saw Leslie walk in so I stopped pulling down my pants. I looked at her. "Really?! Do you walk into guys bathroom often?" She giggled slightly and that was very adorable. "No, not really. I just wanted to make sure, if we were still going to meet tonight?" I smiled and nodded. "Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world." She smiled then walked out.

I undressed showered and walked to my house when I got home I had the gold medal around my neck and I walked into my house and my parents weren't here I stayed here did my regular chores then they came home and they saw me like nothing and went into the house and spread out as usual. "So where were you, Jess?" My father spoke to me I didn't look at him and i didn't respond either. "Hey, I'm talking to you! You missed your sisters play!" I looked at him my face angry, I was hurt I grabbed the golden medal from my pocket and threw it at his chest. "Thats what I was doing wining my first golden medal, ALONE, without my family there to support me watching the rest of my opponents be congratulated and taken pictures of!" I walked out and heard my father say "Shit!" then my mother yell at my father. I could hear my father "It was that or watch May Belle?!" then i heard mom say "And you didn't tell me so I couldn't pick Jess! Today isn't May Belles opening night that was the day before yesterday! and we were there!"

I sighed I saw that it was night time so I ran to the Bridge I was so angry at my dad, he had always favored all of my sisters over me I sighed as I looked at the river and sat there waiting for Leslie then a few minutes later she showed up and I smiled walking over to her she hugged me and I hugged back taking in a deep breath of her scent.

I then walked her over to the old abandoned truck and she looked at it then at me as in trying to reach into her brain to find a file to see if she could remember. "I feel like I'm having a Déjà Vu…" I smiled as her eyes watered with tears. "I don't know why I'm crying…" I went over to her and I pulled her close and hugged her. Then we heard steps from behind us and we turned and it was him, Leslie's boyfriend. He looked angry at me. "Annabelle?" Leslie's eyes were wide as she pushed me back and took a step away from me.


	4. Chapter 4

Leslie looked over at her boyfriend then back at me and then at him. "Jonas, hold on I can explain." He looked at her he was furious. "Explain?! What are you going to explain, that you came over here in the middle of the night to see this guy! Its clear to me you're cheating on me!"

Leslie sighed slightly. "Jonas its not what you th-" before she could finish he had begun to run off Leslie looked at him her face was filled with anguish. "Jonas!" Leslie began going after her and I grabbed her arm and looked at her. "Where are you going?" Leslie looked back at me. "Jess I have to go get him, I'll come back tomorrow…. Maybe…" She released her self from my grasp that 'maybe' was like a blow to my heart, it hurt so badly I lost her once and now knowing that she was alive I couldn't let her go. I paced back and forth where I was, as i said to my self "Don't go after her…" over and over to my self. Then when I saw her shadow almost fade into the dark background I sighed deeply. "Damn it!" I then began running after her and seeing her shadow back into view then she was still pretty far but I saw her and Jonas stop a little bit ahead and they were fighting I could hear them. I stopped a couple of feet away from them and Jonas looked at me and glared then Leslie looked at me then at Jonas.

Jonas went over to Jess pushing past Leslie. "I don't know who the hell you are but you better stay away from my girl." I raised my hands slightly as if a cop had aimed a gun at me. "Okay I'm not staying away from Le…Annabelle, you don't have to get all jealo-" Before I could finish my sentence the guy literally punched my face I saw blood splatter out of my mouth and all I heard was Leslie yell my name and sprint towards me. I was fine it hurt but it wasn't that bad I spit out the blood that had pilled in my mouth and Looked at him. "I'm the only person from Annabelle's past, as in before she was adopted." He then looked slightly guilty but still glared at me. "Were you her boyfriend?" I sighed rolling my eyes. "NO! I was just her best friend we were 10 years old the last thing we thought of when we were that age was dating someone." Jonas then went back to looking guilty once more and then looked down.

"Now you know what I was doing all the way over here." Leslie had spoken to Jonas as she looked at me, well at the blood that dripped out of my mouth, she reached into her back pocket and handed me a handkerchief that she had, so i could clean off the blood. I grabbed it and wiped my self clean. "I'm sorry man, I just though that Annabelle and you were seeing each other as in like lovers. Okay, you can punch me back." I chuckled slightly looking at him. "I'm not a fighter, I wont hit you just because you hit me, though I will tell you something you should trust her." Leslie looked at him and nodded. "I did, but heres the thing, what if she snuck out on you, not told you where she was going and you follow her and find her with another man." I took a deep breath. "I wouldn't assume anything I would confront her about it… And talk…." He looked down and scratched the back of his head. "I'm terribly sorry…"

I looked over at him and patted his shoulder and smiled. "Its okay…" I turned over to Leslie and I smiled at her. "Are we meeting tomorrow?" Leslie had opened her mouth to speak but was immediately interrupted by Jonas. "You know Jess… I think that… You guys shouldn't meet anymore and I me-" I turned around and interrupted him before he continued putting his foot further into his mouth. "Okay, Jonas first of all, that isn't your decision to make, its Leslie's… I mean Annabelle's. Second of all you have no idea what it feels like losing a friend from one day to another and feeling guilty for 6 years, then after wards finding out she's alive! Do you honestly think that I would just let her go so easily?!" He looked slightly shock but surprisingly spoke back. "Well she is my girlfriend and I don't fancy her coming over here in the middle of the night to meet up with some guy!"

I took a step closer to him and looked down at him. "I am not just 'some guy' I am her best friend and you know what I wouldn't care if you came along I am not going to stop you we aren't doing something that you can't see I'm just showing her some things from her past to see if she remembers and it kind of works because when she saw just a small bit of it she teared up… I'm only trying to help with her memories…" He took a defensive look then glared up at me. "Well Annabelle doesn't need her past she is just fine how she is right now!"

"Well I am her past and she might not need me… But i really do need her!" Leslie came in between both of us pushing us both apart and looked back and forth from me and Jonas. "Okay, I don't need either of you to decide anything for me because I am my own living, thinking human being! Jonas, I do need my past you don't make choices for me, I am going to keep meeting up with Jess, he is also right you can come along I wouldn't mind we aren't doing anything you can't see." She was looking at Jonas while speaking then she looked over at me to speak to me. "Jess… Thank you for being patient with Jonas and what not, but you don't make choices for me either, its my choice to remember or not, and I really do want to remember, you are right, but please take it slow, and it was really sweet for you to say that you needed me thank you, but both of you chill out and stop fighting please I need both of you right now…" She reached up placed her arms around our necks and pulled us in close and kissed our cheeks.

"I'll chill Lesl- Annabelle" She smiled at me then looked at Jonas, he sighed deeply and nodded. "I'll chill…" he looked at me "Just one more question, what do you keep calling her?" I looked over at Jonas and Leslie released us from her grasp and she looked up at me. "Explain to him Jess." I nodded slightly "Her birth name is Leslie Burke and I am Jess Aarons." He raised his eyebrow. "Jess Aarons… Jess Aaro… I knew I recognized you from some where your the kid that took that golden medal from me." I sighed slightly he was going to make a big deal out of me beating him by a landslide. "Oh man that was awesome how you just smoothly went by me with barely breaking a sweat!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me into a hug I raised my eyebrow and hugged him back. Leslie had looked at the time and sighed.

"Jonas we have to go back its already pretty late." Jonas nodded Leslie hugged me good bye and they walked off I saw Leslie head into a neighborhood not much far a head, all this time she wasn't even that far away from me and I never even knew all she had to do was live over the river and go to a completely different school from mine and done she disappeared for ever. I watched them disappear and then I jogged back to my house I snuck in through the window and when I went into my bedroom I smiled and I still could't believe that she was alive and she was still as sweet as I could remember. I shut my window and turned around and the first thing I see is my father sitting down on my bed I looked at him and the smile that was on my face was gone.

"Where the hell were you?!" I raised my eyebrow at him. "Do I need to give you an explanation?" He stood up to look at me. "Since you live in my house you owe me explanations of everything you do!" I looked at my father and slightly clenched my jaw. "I was out meeting with people that actually went to see me race!" I looked at me his face never changed when he was with me he had always looked at me with those same cold eyes. "I was out watching your sister!"

"An thats an excuse?! You chose May Belle over me OH what a shocker! I was never loved by you I have always been last to be loved by you I was never first on your list! No matter how hard I tried to make you proud I always came last to any of my sisters to you and mom! I can't believe my own music teacher and her husband who have NO fucking children have been a better parents to me than both you and mom! I can't wait to turn 18 and get out of this hell hole you assume I call my home!" I walked past my father and down the stairs and went out of my house and began to run, I just kept running I don't know where I was going It began to rain and I just ran I didn't want to go back home. That was the last place I wanted to go.


	5. Chapter 5

I continued to run I was already soaking wet with the rain, I had ended up running to Mrs. Lawrance's house I stood there in front of her door on her porch as I looked down at the ground my hair dripping water on to the ground all in my view was my soaking pants, shoes, clenched fists, and my dripping wet shirt that stuck to my chest I took a deep breath and placed my finger on the bell and gently pushed it hearing the little song ring across her home and steps scurrying to the door and lights flickered on the porch and then she opened the door, her deep blue eyes expressed shocked to see me there. "Jess?" I heard her say then I heard Mr. Lawrance come up behind with a shock expressing gasp and I looked at her my jaw clenched, and my view then began to slightly fog up, they were being filled with tears. So I wouldn't cry I rushed into their arms leaning my head mostly on Mr. Lawrance's shoulder and I took a deep breath I felt Mrs. Lawrance leave rushing, then my right hand hung there, she then came back and I felt a soft and warm towel on my shoulders then she wrapped it gently around me. I felt them move me further into their home and sat me down on a wooden chair of course I understood how on the earth would they dry their couch if I sat there. Then they brought me some hot chocolate and they just sat there in their sofa looking at me waiting for me to speak first of course.

I finally looked up at them and held the empty mug in my hands and I smiled slightly apologetic. "I'm sorry I came here at this time… I just had a fight with my dad and it didn't really turn out so good and the first place I thought of to come was here…" Mrs. Lawrance placed her hand on my knee and rubbed it slightly. "Thats okay Jess, Your always welcome here right Hector?" Mr. Lawrance nodded slightly. "Of course you are, your like a son to us." I smiled slightly at them this time I was grateful with that smile. "Its just, you guys have been more parents to me than my real parents… You guys some day will make the greatest parents ever." They looked at each other and Mrs. Lawrance leaned on Mr. awrance's shoulder and he gently combed her hair with his fingers and they smiled and they both said in perfect sync. "We sure hope so." I smiled they were like soul mates they looked so perfect for each other.

I felt a little pushy by asking what I was about to ask but I did so I really didn't want to go back home, I really didn't wish to see my parents faces, I didn't want to spend another second in that hell hole, I just couldn't stand it. I crossed my fingers slightly when Mr. Lawrance took the mug out of my hands took it to the kitchen and came back to take his rightful place next to Mrs. Lawrance, I kind of envied them to be honest, how happy they were, the way they looked at each other, I really wish to have that in the future. Back to what I was going to ask them I opened my mouth to speak but Mr. Lawrance spoke before I could. "Jess, if you want you can stay here for a while, you know maybe until things cool off at your home." Mrs. Lawrance looked at him I though she was going to protest but she smiled then looked at me, I smiled brightly looking at both of them. I just remember being younger and wishing they were my real parents.

After a couple of minutes of talking explaining to her what had happened not getting into the details of Leslie. When I told them I won my first gold medal their faces light up and they clapped slightly congratulated me and smiled and let me continue speaking. I told them I went out for a walk, just to get some fresh air and stayed out slightly passed the time I should have gotten back at, so when I snuck inside my house my father was in my room and began a short but kind of painful fight with him. They patted me slightly handed me a change of clothe. Mrs. Lawrance placed some sheets on the sofa, and on top of that left a blanket and a pillow. "Okay you're going to be sleeping right here you can go change in the bathroom up stairs 2 door to your right." I nodded headed up the stairs changed out of my wet clothe left them to dry hanged on the shower curtains, grabbed some toothpaste and a toothbrush that they had given me, brushed my teeth headed down the stairs and got into the sofa, wrapped my self in the sweet fresh smelling blankets and shut my eyes and went down like a rock.

When I opened my eyes the sun was sneaking in through the curtains that covered the big window in their living room, then I could smell some cooking in the kitchen, before I went out to the kitchen to snack on something I stood up open the blinds to let the room be filled with some light, this was like my fantasy of a happy family. House smelling like delicious cooking, beautiful house, great parents, and being an only child, but of course I wasn't born into the Lawrance family I was born into the Aarons family. I chucked slightly at my silly fantasy I walked into the kitchen and I heard Mrs. Lawrance beautiful singing voice, she sang a pretty song to go along with the morning, I chuckled and sat down at the table and she turned around and saw me and smiled. "Oh good morning, Jess. Pancakes, Or waffles?" I raised my eyebrow at her. "How am I supposed to choose between them?" She smiled at me and placed both pancakes and waffles on to a plate. "Then both." She put the plate in front of me set one up for her self with and one for Mr. Lawrance who was just coming down the stairs. She placed Jug of Coffee and another of Orange juice in the center of the table and next to that a plate with bacon, another with eggs, and another with toast. This REALLY was like a fantasy. We all dug down on everything after doing our prayer.

We then moved on to the living room chatted a bit and they suddenly decided to play random instruments and sing and of course I went along with it Mrs. Lawrance's music class was always my favorite part of the day and having it on a Saturday was even better. After a while of living out my fantasy of being Jess Lawrance it was time to go back to my actual life and nightmare of living as Jess Aarons. "I have to go home now Mr. and Mrs. Lawrance…" Mr Lawrance looked at me and so did Mrs. Lawrance and they smiled and once more they did that speaking in perfect sync together. "Calls us Hector and Amy." I chuckled slightly it was so weird how they did that. I reached for a hand shake and the pulled me in for a hug. I smiled hugging them back of course. "Thank you for being the parents I never had…." they then released me and I smiled and walked away and out of their home as I was standing on the pavement I looked back at them as they stood on the porch I waved at them and I walked off back to my own home. I stood in the yard and sighed deeply. "…I'm back where I belong…"

I walked around did my chores i started out side, yup I was stalling, I didn't want to go back inside. When I finally finished the chores I had to do outside I looked at the house as if i was entering the gate of hell and sighed walking inside the house I could hear them all talking and chatting, but of course as soon as I walked into the house the chatting and clanking of forks diving into plates dead stopped as if it was planned directly out from a movie script. Then their eyes were on me. My mom stood up and came over to me and hugged me. "You had me worried sick." I didn't really hug her back I just stood there with her arms awkwardly wrapped around me. "Uh… You shouldn't I was fine…" My father of course came over to me as soon as mom let go of me and then the chatting and eating sound resumed. "Can I talk to you Jess…" I looked at him. "Don't think I have a choice…"

He clenched his jaw and we went up stairs into May Belled room and into my small corner of the room that was basically just a blanket dividing May Belles giant room from my corner. We sat down on the bed and then I looked at him. "Well talk…" He looked at me. "Okay first of all I deserve my respect Jess Aarons."

"Well when you earn it maybe I will give it to you…" He clenched his fist and took a deep breath. "I am not a bad father to you, its just your little sister needs a bit more attention. I'm sorry for missing out on your big race, but May Belle really wanted me there at her play." I looked out the window. "Okay dad… she doesn't need more attention I think you should give equal attention to your kids you have all your daughters on the top of your list and look who's bottom the boy." I then looked at him. "You know, May Belle wanted you there, but what about me, I also wanted you there, I wanted you and my family there to cheer me on to victory, but of course I came last as always… I just want you to take a look at my so called room… My so called Space, then look at my sisters room all of them…. Okay now look at my chore list, then look at their chore list, hm OH right they don't have one. I'm not saying you're a bad father, but you don't really get the father of the year award in my eyes you know…. The only moment that you were a great father to me was when Leslie died you were there to support me… But thats it…"

I looked out the window and then looked at the watch on my small night stand and stood up. "I have to go…" I had to go meet Leslie and her boyfriend at Terabithia. When I was about to leave dad stopped me I looked down at him and raised my eyebrow he stood up from the bed and looked at me. "You aren't going any where Jess Aarons you are staying right here, doing the rest of chores, and get a head start on tomorrows chores because you ain't going any where any time soon… You are grounded…." He began to walk out of my room. "What?! You can't ground me!" He turned around to look at me. "AS LONG AS YOU LIVE UNDER MY ROOF YOU DO AS I SAY!" He yelled at me his face RED, out of anger, when he finished he just stormed out I was shocked I have seen him angry at me but not like this, I sat back down and sighed deeply, I looked at my window and shrugged I'll just sneak out then walked to it when I tried to open it, I couldn't it. When i got down to see why I couldn't open it, he had nailed it down I groaned deeply and punched the wall breaking to the light cover of plaster then sighed, I was going to have to fix that later. I layer down on my bed and decided to try and fall asleep and I did.

In the middle of the night I heard a tapping that woke me up I sat up and stretched slightly and then the tapping got a bit more persistent when I turned around to look at my window, where the tapping was coming from, I saw Leslie she was outside my window, how? I have no idea… I went over to the window. "What the hell are you doing?!" I whispered slightly She giggled she was on a ladder my dad left there. "I found it strange you didn't show so we came out here I guessed this was your house since the mail box says Aarons… Open the window!"

"I can't my dad nailed it so I wouldn't get out…" She sighed slightly and them smiled, she had an idea then I just saw her head disappear out of my view, in other words she was going down the ladder.


	6. Chapter 6

As I saw her go down I waited for her to come back up as I sat on the bed. After a minute or two I saw her head pop up in the window I went over to her and as she lifted her hand he held a hammer and she grabbed the nails with the opposite end of the hammer, not the one use for hammering the one horizontally from it. I smiled looking at her as she removed the last nail and I opened the window for her and helped her climb in she fell into my arms, She didn't even look up at me as I stared down at her. She straightened her self and looked around slightly at my small portion of May Belle's room and she looked at me and cleaned her hands putting the hammer down on my night stand. I looked out the window to see if Jason came up the window but he didn't. "Wheres Jason?"

"Oh he couldn't come on his way home rain started pouring down on him and he got really sick. I told him I was still coming and he was okay with it." I nodded slightly and closed the window behind her and she looked a tad disappointed. "So this is your side of a room?" She said as she pulled the blanket that separated my space from May Belles and she leaned her puckered lips slightly to the right in disappointed. "Why does she get the bigger half?" I walked up behind her, easing the blanket from her grip and let it fall back. "Because she's daddy's little girl." She walked over to my twin size bed and sat down on it. "Can you show me anything from in here that can maybe jog my memory?" I thought for a second and went to my night stand and opened a drawer inside were a bunch of scattered papers and one of them stood out because it wasn't my hand writing, it was Leslie's when the teacher found out I lost Leslie she had given me her Essay, the one I actually loved because of all the detail in it. I handed it over to her and she looked at it shocked.

I saw her eyes scroll through her one page essay and her mouth fall open. "This is me… I am Leslie Burke… I wrote an essay exactly like this one, word by word everything is exactly the same… I have never gone scuba diving…" I smiled slightly and sat next to her. "I was a little it skeptical over if I really was this Leslie now I'm sure…" She looked over at me a bright smile on her face her eyes filled with tears, she put the essay aside and then she hugged me I smiled brightly and hugged her back I loved the feeling of her arms around me it felt so damn good. She looked up at me and the smile on her face gently disappeared and I was slowly leaning down to kiss her and as soon as our lips were inches from touching she pulled away from me and stood up. "So ummm… Yeah anything else you might want to show me? Or you can just tell me some stuff…" I was left with my mouth wanting a kiss, I had never really kissed anyone now that I thought about it.

I stood up from my bed and looked at her. "Umm… In our school there was a bully her name was Janice, Ironically a good friend of mine now, well basically we wanted to get back at her for being mean and what not so we wrote her a love letter from the 'cutest' guy in the school, it said she was the prettiest girl in the school, and that he wanted to give her a ride home. Then we left it at her desk and we ran for it, then we watched her talk to the guy and he left her behind then she got on the bus and left with us. We laughed but then the next day we heard her crying in the bathroom then I made you go in to talk to her and she told you that her dad beat her." She looked at me and in her face I could see she was trying really hard to remember everything. She sighed deeply and threw herself on the bed. "This all sounds familiar but I get nothing! I don't remember it ever happening…" She was so upset about it she looked at my ceiling and placed her hands over her eyes and just laid there I sat next to her and looked at her.

"You have to be patient, and try extremely hard…" She sat up looking at me. "I am trying really hard! Its like your telling me a movie I never watched and I'm trying to remember it!" I smiled slightly and brushed her hair with my fingers and she looked at my eyes. "Okay Les…. Annabelle why don't you tell me about, some dreams that you may remember from long ago, you being a kid, I don't care how crazy they might sound." She took a deep breath and nodded then she focused. "Oh… One of my favorite dreams ever, was of when I had recently gotten adopted by my parents. The first night I stayed at their house as Annabelle, I fell asleep and I went into this beautiful world and I had a crown, I fought against these beeping things, and some birds. My mortal enemy was this dark shadow. I was always with this boy…" she trailed off as she looked at me and her mouth fell open. "You… You're that boy! You were the king with me! Ah!" She yelped in happiness and she glomped me on to my bed she ended up on top of me my face was a deep shade of red, she then realized why she was doing and she rapidly got off of me.

She gently cleared her throat and looked at me with a bright smile on her face. "I do remember you! From a dream I guess it was my brain trying to get me to realize who I was in a way that didn't freaked me out I guess. This makes me so happy!" She jumped off of the bed and continued to walk around in circles, she was thinking. "The note we left for Janice!" I raised my eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"I dreamt of something like that! Except it was an Ogre giant type thing and then we befriended her because she caught you from falling off of our castle!" I got off my bed looking at her. "Leslie that actually happened!" She tilted her head on to the right with a baffled look on it. "Not the being caught by a giant. The part about me falling off of our castle." She held my shoulders. "We have a castle?!" I chuckled lightly looking at her. "More like a tree house, Its called Terabithia…" She jumped up in excitement. "Oh we have to go see it right now! I have to go! Maybe I can remember all of this when I see Terabithia! I'll remember everything!"

"Whoa, Whoa, whoa, Annabelle I don't want you to get your hopes up by this, its not 100% bullet proof that this will work I just want you to take that in alright." I looked at the time on my silly little clock on my night stand. "Its a little late for that already…" She was staring at me her face was red. "In my dreams I used to have the biggest crush on you… I always wished you were real. Here you are so real, but of course grown up, not like in my dreams…" She placed her hands on my chest, my face was all red, my heart was beating quickly I felt like it wanted to jump out of my chest she stepped into me and leaned her head on my chest, gently placing her ear to my chest. "I can hear your heart beating…" She tapped the rhythm of my heart on my chest with her fingers and I smiled wrapping my arms around her gently. Placing my lips and nose on the top of her head and shutting my eyes. Taking in a deep breath of her sweet scent.

I opened my eyes and looked at her when I felt her move her head a tad back, she looked up at me with her deep blue eyes, she was breathing deeply I saw her get a bit more up to my height, I guess she had gotten on her tippy toes. I gently leaned down to her and she slowly leaned up towards me we were inches away from kissing, I was yearning for this so badly, we were almost there her lips were about to touch mine. Then all of a sudden May Belle bursted in pulling the sheets that separated my side from hers. "Whats with all the noise Jess…" She saw Leslie and her mouth fell open. I looked at her and so did Leslie, when she realized she was about to kiss me she pulled away from me and looked at May Belle.

May Belle looked shocked, no words escaped her mouth which was Shocking because May Belle never shut up. She couldn't believe her eyes, someone she thought dead standing in my room about to kiss me, yeah about to. I just wished she would have interrupted just a little bit later. I walked over to her. "May Belle, don't screa-" I stopped mid sentence she interrupted me. "DADD-!" Before she could finish saying daddy I covered her mouth. "May Belle please don't." She didn't look at me she looked at Leslie her eyes completely wide.


	7. Chapter 7

Me and Leslie sat down with May Belle and talked a bit, about how things weren't easy to explain so we just made it a long story short 'She's Alive… But no one can know about it.' May Belle was still in shock she actually stared at Leslie and I chuckled slightly at her face, she looked sleepy, and her mouth was wide open of shock. I turned to look at Leslie. "Did I look like that?" Leslie smiled and giggled nodding slightly. "Now May Belle I want you to go to sleep and just keep this as our little secrete, okay?" May Belle finally looked at me and nodded she walked back to her bed constantly looking back and forth from Leslie to where she was walking.

Leslie stood up from my bed and I was sort of thankful that May Belle didn't ask about the almost kiss. Leslie looked at the time then looked at me. "I have to go." She spoke in a low tone of voice and went over to the window she was climbing out and before she could leave I grabbed her arm and looked at her. "Leslie, were not done talking…" She looked at me and made me release her arm. "Yes we are, Jess." I clenched my jaw and pulled her back into the room. "No we aren't! You wanted to kiss me!" She looked at me. "Don't say that!"

"What? That you wanted to kiss me!" She pushed me. "Shut up!" I looked down at her. "LESLIE BURKE YOU WANTED TO KISS ME!" She started pounding her fists on my chest. "Shut up, Shut up, Shut up! You can't say that!" She was glaring up at me now. "Please Jess, I'm really confused. I was just remembering the guy that I liked from my dreams… You aren't him." I raised my eyebrow. "Of course thats me! You said it."

"No! He is an image of you, I had a crush on someone who isn't real!" I clenched my jaw grabbed her face and kissed her by force at first she was punching my shoulders and then her punches got softer until they turned into light touches then a grasp. She was gently kissing me back, this was so delicious I have wanted this for so long, and she tasted so sweet like strawberries. After a while of us making out in the middle of my room i think I went a little far when my hands slid down to her waist at that moment she pushed me off of her, her face red, I had no idea if she was embarrassed or angry. She didn't speak a single word just left through my window. I watched her leave my heart beating quickly I held on to my chest and sat down on my bed face palming.

What was I going to do, she was angry at me how was I supposed to see her once more, she wasn't going to show up for tomorrow night. I sighed and went to sleep, the next day I woke up ad May Belle was staring at me as I slept when I saw her I jumped slightly not really expecting her to be there. "What the hell May Belle?!"

"Jess! Finally your awake!" I sat up rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and opening them to look at her. "What do you want?" She got closer to me and she whispered gently. "Did I really see Leslie last night?" I sighed deeply and nodded. "But I want you to shut up about it!" She nodded. "Did you guys kiss?" I shoved her off slightly. "No, thanks to you!" She pouted. "Its not my fault!"

"Yes it is! You should have minded your own business!" I got up from my bed, got ready, ignored May Belle and went to school as usual took the bus and got to school with Janice. "I kissed someone…" Janice then looked at me with shock, I couldn't help it I had to tell someone, I wasn't going to tell her who she was. "You kissed someone?! Bull! Who!?" I chuckled slightly. "I'm not spilling who, but it was the best feeling ever she tasted so good, and it was everything I imagined." I looked over at Janice, her face looked, pouty. Like she wasn't happy. "But she pushed me off before I could finish savoring it, I just wish she gave me a little bit more time."

"So you kissed her without her wanting, Its good that she pushed you away." I looked at her and chuckled hugging her tightly and nudging the top of her head. "Your supposed to be on my side!" She giggled slightly and pulled me off of her and I looked at her smiling. "Jess…" I raised my eyebrow at her and she placed her hand on my cheek I looked at her hand from the corner of my eyes and before I knew it she was kissing me, my eyes grew wide and I pulled away from her. "What the heck are you doing?!" Janice looked at me her face deep red of embarrassment. "I wanted to kiss you, was I as good as her?" I made a face. "Janice, you're more of a friend to me… Like a siste-" Before I could finish she stood up the bus stopped and she left he bus. "Janice!" I sighed deeply and face palmed. I stood up and went after her I was real fast runner so I caught up to her.

"Janice! Whats wrong with you!" She pushed me off, she was really strong. "Because I have a crush on you, and you never notice, then you have the nerve to tell you kissed someone, and then you tell me I wasn't as good!" I held her shoulders, "You are good… Its just I don't feel for you, like i feel for her, she's everything to me." Janice's jaw clenched tightly and shoved me away and went away, I sighed slightly I just hoped she would get over everything by the end of the day, she was my only friend. I walked into school the day went by pretty dull because, well I didn't talk to anyone and what not.

After school I was in the locker rooms, I was going to see the girls run, what? I'm a guy I like to watch. So I just went for a jog and I was changing and Hoager as always came over to me shut the locker in my face and I glared at him. "You only beat me, yesterday because I was tired." I laughed in his face. "Bull! I'm faster now! You won't take another gold medal from me ever, Hoager!" His face grew angry and went on to punch me but I moved away and he ended up punching the lockers behind me. "AH!" He grabbed his hand and leaned down then I pushed him away and I smiled walking out of the locker room and went out to the benches, I looked around it was filled with people, I saw Jonas and rapidly looked over at the field and saw her stretching at the field I smiled brightly I looked at her, she looked damn sexy in her running tights and pony tail, then I saw Janice walking up to the field. I raised my eyebrow why was she dressed for track and field, she doesn't run.

I sighed deeply. I saw Leslie looking at Janice, her mouth fell open. Then I saw Janice look at Leslie and Janice's eyes went wide, she turned to look at me she knew I was here, Leslie followed Janice's eyes and looked at me and glared. Then she looked at Janice her face showed recognition, she knew who she was then I read Leslie's lips, they said. "Nice feet." Janice looked at her and her eyes narrowed, Leslie as always smiled and looked at me she was happy she remembered something without my help. Then the coach yelled the get ready mark. They all did getting ready, Janice looked at everyone and did the same, then the gun shot was heard and they began running.

I was watching Leslie run, it was a really long run, then suddenly when My eyes trailed off to Janice who was slowing down, then back to Leslie who had a solid lead in first place I sheered for Leslie, yelling. "GO ANNABELLE!" that called Jonas's attention and he came over to me and that was a mistake after kissing Leslie I wasn't going to able to look at him the same way. "Hey, you knew she was coming? Did she tell you last night?" I chuckled awkwardly looking at him. "Um no I came to see the girls." He laughed and sat down next to me. "She's great isn't she?" I looked at Jonas and nodded. "Yeah, she was always really fast."

I trailed away from Leslie and looked at Janice she was starting to tumble and then I saw her fall face planting on to the ground I stood up. "Janice!" Jonas stood up after me. "Is she your girlfriend?" I looked at him and didn't answer and ran down to the field. The race finished and people came over to see. I was trying to give her some air trying to refresh her, then Leslie's parents gave me a piece of board to try and give her some air, but she wasn't reacting. I entered in panic.


	8. Chapter 8

I had picked up Janice from the ground and began to carry her but Leslie's adoptive parents stopped me, her father jiggled her keys slightly. "I can take you to a hospital." I nodded I was very grateful that they were so nice to me. I carried Janice over to their mini van and put her inside laying down, even though I was very worried about Janice some how I couldn't take my eyes off of Leslie, who was also constantly looking at me. I got into the car and sat down next to Leslie since Janice laid down on the third row. We awkwardly sat there in silence. "Thank you for being very nice, and Congratulations on wining that golden medal." Leslie smiled and her parents spoke to me. "Its not a problem its our pleasure to help."

It was dead silence from that point over to the hospital, so I just awaited patiently and desperately to get out of that car, I hated the awkwardness, and the fact that I couldn't stop staring at leslie and her parents looked at me then at her through the review mirror. We got to the hospital and I rapidly got down with Janice in my arms into the hospital nurses and doctors took her away from my hands and carried her in a gurney. I sat down in the waiting room Leslie and her parents talked for a while and they kissed the top of her head and they headed out, she looked at me and sat down next to me in the waiting room and sighed. "Don't get excited, I still haven't forgiven you for the kiss…" I looked over at her. "I'm really sorry, I just… I got so mad how you said 'You had a crush on someone who doesn't exist' yet I'm standing right here in front of you, the kid from your dreams." Leslie didn't speak to me she just stayed quite, she wouldn't even look at me, her fists were clenched tightly.

I stared at her awaiting her reply but I got nothing from her I sighed and just looked away and after a few minutes she spoke "I don't want to believe thats you…" I looked over at you and raised my eyebrow, I didn't want to speak afraid that she would just stay even more silent for way longer. "Because I have always had feelings for that kid in my dreams and I don't want to believe its you because I love Jonas and I want to stay faithful… But yet when you kissed me I felt him, that kid, and I just melted in your hands like an idiot!" she placed her hands on her face and rested her elbows on her knees. I leaned over to her, "I'm sorry Leslie, I won't ever do that again, I just… I never stopped feeling that way for you, thats all, there was never another person and when I saw you I just wanted to make you mine but never did it go through my head that you would have found someone else…" I leaned away from her and back into my chair.

There was this silence between us that was killing me I hated not knowing the right words to say to her. It hurt me also that I was hurting her, she didn't like when I kissed her it made her feel awful about being with me while being with Jonas. All these things were sorting through my head, what was the best thing to do, how could I stop hurting her more than I have already hurt her. Her life it was probably perfect before she got here, except for that piece of memory always missing from her past but she should just leave it be, just not scratch that wall, maybe I shouldn't have came into her life, maybe I should just exit it now before I make everything worse before I'm in to deep to pull my self out.

After an hour or two the doctors told us that Janice was awake and she could take visitors now we went into the room both me an Leslie, Leslie's eyes were red from the pressure of her palms to her face. "Hey, Janice." I said as soon as I saw her droopy eyes flutter open when se heard the door, she smiled when she saw me but when Leslie walk through the door her smile just flopped down. "Hey, Jess" her voice was low and hoarse, she looked over at Leslie then at me, and her eyes just went back and forth from bot of us. "Is that…" before she finished her sentence I put my finger on her lip and nodded. "But just keep it between us." She nodded. She didn't speak another word but I knew the questions she had. When did I find her? How was it? Was she the girl I kissed? Does she remember anything? Why doesn't she?So i just slowly answered each and everyone of them with a short brief explanation.

"I should have guessed she was the one you kissed, she's your Leslie, the only girl you've ever loved, and in your eyes she's everything and every other girl is nothing." I heard that sentence and remembered what I said earlier and I sighed. "Janice you know th-" Before I could finish my sentence the nurse came in and told us it was time to leave I sighed, then me and Leslie walked out. Leslie was biting her lower lip just meaning she was trying to think about what to say. "So I'm your everything?" I looked at her. "Of course you are you always were you alway will be." We continued walking over to my house because we needed to take the trail back to the bridge so she could get back to her home. All of a sudden a giant rain began to pour down on us and we started running we then got to my house and she saw the house she lived in before she lost all her memories. She stared at it. "Can we go in?" I smiled slightly and nodded. "We went over to it and walked inside through an open window it was abandoned but some how looked so neat and un touched.

I couldn't stop staring at her she looked so sexy at those moments, she was wearing her tight track clothe, she was soaking wet, and we were alone in a an abandoned house, I walked up behind her and grabbed her waist and she gasped. "Jess what re you doing?!" She was going to move away but she couldn't I held her waist tightly. I moved her wet hair from her neck and gently started to kiss it. She gasped leaning her head the opposite way where I liked and she blushed I could see it. She clenched her fist and moved away from me looking over at me. "Jess stop it, this isn't funny we talked about this!" I looked at her, I wasn't thinking with the right head at the moment. I went over to her grabbed her by the waist once more and pulled her close, she looked up at me. "Jess stop it!" She was trying to pull away from me, but she couldn't and placed my hand over her eyes and whispered. "Just pretend I'm the kid from your dreams again, fall in love with me all over again Leslie Burke. Just how you loved me years ago, please, just for one night, give me what I want."

At that moment I knew I had her she wrapped her arms around my neck, I removed my hand from her eyes, the grip I had on her waist became lose, I didn't do anything I just looked down at her, we stood there bodies so close to each other, wet and panting from the running, at these moment she was mine, I had her dancing in the palm of my hands she was like hypnotized. I leaned down and kissed her her grip around me became tighter and I kissed her my tongue gently sliding into her mouth and swirling around hers and I sucked on her tongue ever so slightly then I felt her take the lead and tug on my lips sucking on them sliding her tongue around them and then she roughly bit them, it made me flinch but I liked it. I felt shivers down my spine I love it I felt my self getting aroused and I felt the hair on her body stand up.

I picked her up and layer her down on the floor and continued to kiss her I slid my one of my hands inside her tight wet tank top sliding them up to her breast and rubbing them I herd her gasp gently and her heart was racing quickly i trailed my kiss down to her neck and licked it and sucked on her neck leaving a hickey on her by accident i slid my free hand down to her shorts and slowly began to pull them down I looked up at Leslie her eyes were still shut, as I pulled down her shorts her underwear went with them I bit my lower lip as I saw her un touched skin being revealed.


	9. Chapter 9

My jaw had dropped open her beauty just as I had pictured it, she stood in front of me her beautiful blue eyes staring back of me they were filled with worry for me, but her eyes also said something more than that, it was like she didn't know who I was. I took a step closer to her and she in her self defense, took a step back I tilted my head. "Leslie its me Jess…" Her eyes glistened with hope. "Wait you recognize me?!" I was a tad confused by what she had asked me. Of course I knew her, the girl I've cried for almost every day. "Yes…. I-i do…."

She sprinted towards me. "Oh that is so cool! Tell me about me! Who was I?! How was I?! Were we friends?!" She sounded so excited as she did that adorable thing she always did, she bit her bottom lip awaiting my response and she held my shoulders and she couldn't hold still.

"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! Wait what do you mean, how can I tell you, about YOU." She sighed slightly releasing her bottom lip from the grip of her top teeth. "Well, you see today is my birthday… Well thats what my parents tell me…" She looked at the river as it rushed down. "They found me in this river un conscious, They don't know who I was, they call it my birthday because they found me on this day and they adopted me, they took me to a doctor. They never really bothered in looking for who my actual parents were, sooo I just went with it. They never really let me follow the river and tonight I decided to find out where it led to, and I found this bridge, and you. Oh I'm Annabelle by the way."

I was just taking this in, I couldn't believe Leslie was alive, the girl I cried for these las 6 years was standing in front of me wondering who she was and just as excited as she would be as if she'd met a new person, it felt like she was asking about someone who wasn't her, she stared at me it felt like she could read my thoughts. To her I was always an open book, she always knew what to say when ever I was sad even when I was mean to her she always knew what to say to get me out of that cloud I got my self into and she dragged me back to earth with her.

"I was someone important to you?" I then snapped out of my train of thought when I heard her voice echo in my ear. "Uh… Yeah, You were my best friend… Your name was Leslie Burke and you had a loving family." She was so excited at hearing me talk to her and she hugged me, my face flushed red and hugged her back I have been yearning for this for 6 years, to hold her once more, to see her, to be able to speak to her." She let go of me, I wasn't really ready to let her go just yet but I wasn't going to force her to continue hugging a person she considers a stranger. "So you hug stranger on a daily basis?" She looked at me and smiled. "You say your my best friend, I have no reason to distrust you." I raised an eye brow at her. "What if I wanted to hurt you?"

"If you wanted to hurt me, you would have done it by now, right?" I shrugged slightly thinking she may be right. "Okay, so, how long did we know each other for?"

"We didn't really know each other for very long just most of our 5th grade year, you were my first and only friend during that entire year, then they made us think during this entire 6 years… That you were dead." Leslie's eyes expressed shock as her mouth fell open and she covered it with her hand she looked sad. "I am so sorry…. I don't know what to say I feel like your talking about some one who isn't me…" I looked at her and smiled half heartedly she was right I felt the same way It was so un real that she was here. "Every year on the day and place of your death, as in today and here, I come set sail to a drawing I make of you yearly of how you MAY look today." She looked down at the river to see if she saw a raft with a picture of her, I guessed. "I set sail to it this afternoon, I come over at night to try and get closure so I can stay strong for the rest of the year, until next time."

She looked at me a pained look in her eyes she hugged me again she felt pitty for me I didn't want that so I pulled away and looked down at her. "But now, I know your alive, I can live the rest of my life knowing that my best friend didn't die in the river that we used to play on."

She looked up at me tilting her head slightly to the right. "Play on? What do you mean?"

I took a deep breath I had to re live everything for her she couldn't remember anything from that day, or any of her 10 years of life before that faithful day. "On this river there used to be a rope that hung on one of the branches, we used that to get to the other side of the river." She looked back at the tree that I had pointed at, then looked at the bridge. "Why didn't we just used the bridge?" I walked over to the bridge and slid my hand on it. "This bridge wasn't here, I made it after I lost you, A tree had fallen making it the only thing i could use to get over there, then I decided to build around it making a Bridge… A bridge to Terabithia…"

She went over to me and held my hand, the one i placed on the bridge. "Don't stop please keep telling me, about us." I looked at her and my face flushed slightly when I saw her deep blue eyes shine with the moons light that danced upon her beautiful face. "The branch broke when you swung on it, and after that I blamed my self because I left and didn't invite you to where I was going… Then my dad told me that I shouldn't blame my self, but something deep inside my heart always tortured me and nagged me that It was my fault." I felt her arms wrap around me from behind and her chest and head pressed against my back and she sighed slightly. "All these years you kept mourning for me…"

I turned around to look at her and smiled. "Now I know your alive, and I can't be the only one to know, your parents they-" she cut me off mid sentence. "No, not yet. My parents, the ones that adopted me, they can't know about anything just yet. Neither can the ones that are my biological parents, alright?" I was confused on why she didn't want anyone to know just yet, she hugged me again and then I felt something vibrate and she reached into her pocket and looked at her cell phone and she made a face. "Oh shoot! Those are my parents calling they must have noticed I'm gone. I have to go!" She began jogging down the bridge.

Then I turned to her. "Leslie…" She didn't turn and i sighed. "Annabelle!" She stopped and looked back at me. "Meet me here again tomorrow night? I have to show you something, I have to show you what I meant by Terabithia." She smiled brightly and nodded at me then she began running down the other side of the river towards where she lived, only she knew where that was of course. I smiled brightly she was back and I ran back home I was so happy I climbed in through my window and jumped into bed taking off all of my dirty clothe off and getting dressed in some long pants for sleep and stayed shirtless and layer down smiling I couldn't help it SHE WAS BACK!


End file.
